DEALS

Public workshop tonight on S.R. 60 widening

The Florida Department of Transportation will hold a public workshop on a proposal to widen State Road 60 from two to three lanes in each direction from Valrico Road to the Polk County line. DAVE NICHOLSON

PLANT CITY – State highway builders will hold a public workshop tonight to solicit comments on a proposal to widen a 12.3-mile stretch of State Road 60 from four to six lanes.

The meeting will be from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Strawberry Ridge HOA Club House, 3419 E. State Road 60, Valrico. Florida Department of Transportation officials will share project information during the meeting.

The plans call for widening State Road 60 from Valrico Road east to the Polk County line. But don’t expect construction crews to move in any time soon.

The department is looking at expanding the road because it is a major east-west highway, is a designated hurricane evacuation route and traffic is projected to increase by more than 54 percent to 71,000 vehicles per day by 2040. Without extra lanes, the road will become congested, Carson said.

The state is looking at two major alternatives: either adding an extra lane in each direction by reconstructing and centering the highway in the approximate 182-foot right of way or by purchasing more right of way in certain areas but using the existing pavement.

In either case, the department would add an additional 12-foot travel lane in each direction, with paved inside and outside shoulders, 5-foot bike lanes and 5-foot sidewalks.

The cost would range from $92.7 million to $106.8 million, depending on the alternative selected.